Russian America, A look at Alaska's History. Episode 1 -

Alaska. Episode 1. In order to understand the development of this region. I feel it is necessary to look at the history of Alyeska (as the Russian’s called it).

The Flag of Russian America [Alyeska]

The Capital of Russian America in what is now called Sitka

Russian America became at risk within the Russian Empire as a result of a disastrous war against the British and their allies the French, between 1853 and 1856 and known as the Crimean War. The Czar, Alexander II and the Russian national Treasury were in a very precarious state. The Czar with the assistance of his brother the Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich feared on losing the “colony” without compensation particularly to the British. There, the Grand Duke Konstantin, as early as 1857, began pressing for the transfer of Alaska to the Americans.

In the hopes of starting a bidding war, both the British and the Americans were approached. However, the British expressed little interest in buying Alaska. The Russians in 1859 offered to sell the territory to the United States, hoping that its presence in the region would offset the plans of Russia’s greatest regional rival, Great Britain.

click the link for: “The Rest of the Story“

Likes